Carson-Newman Women’s Soccer Position Previews: Midfielders
Carson-Newman women’s soccer positions previews continue on with a preview of this year’s midfielders, with help from senior midfielder Felicia Frick.
VIDEO: Felicia Frick Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman women's soccer positions previews continue on with a preview of this year's midfielders, with help from senior midfielder Felicia Frick.
For the second year in a row, Carson-Newman sees a five-year player in the midfield graduate. Savannah Fields (Johnson City, Tenn.) graduates after 76 career games in the Orange and Blue, 66 of which were starts. Fields scored eight goals and added six assists in her career.
"Sav (Savannah Fields) really shaped this team," Frick said. "She really shaped this program as well with her personality and also as a player. Having her on the team, you could always rely on her and she was such a hard worker. It will be a change without her, but I am happy to see Malia, Alba and all the rest of the midfielders carry on making a good season."
Frick takes over as the program's most experienced midfielder and second-most experienced player, having made 51 appearances and 47 starts over the past three seasons. The two-time All-SAC midfielder is the program's all-time leader in penalty kick goals with seven and has not missed a PK in her career. She has scored multiple goals in each of her first three years and has seven career assists to total 25 career points.
"I was able to come in as freshman and gain a lot of trust from Coach Duffy," Frick said. "That helped a lot, getting a lot of minutes in the first year and it just continued on the last few years. We have so much more experience now, knowing the opponents, knowing the team better. It gives me a lot more confidence to go into senior season."
Alba Delgado (Oviedo, Spain) and Malia Kim (Oak Ridge, Tenn.) are also returning seniors in the midfield for C-N.
Delgado has made 16 starts over 26 career appearances with the Eagles. All four of her goals came in 2023, a year in which she tied for the team lead. This past season, she battled through injuries to make 12 appearances, but played just 600 minutes and only attempted seven shots.
Kim was thought of as C-N's most improved player in 2024, playing in all 16 games and starting all but one in her junior year. The Oak Ridge native played the fifth-most minutes on the club and recorded her first career assist against Limestone on Oct 6.
"It's just wonderful to have them around," Frick said. "They are great futbol players, amazing to work with and amazing personalities. I think we have grown a lot over the last few seasons. We have developed and pushed each other and that was evident in our spring work. We worked very hard and I'm excited to see how it unfolds this season."
The three returners will be joined by three newcomers, two freshman and one transfer. Audrey Gallagher is the transfer, joining C-N from Southwest Minnesota State University where she spent the 2023 season. Gallagher made 14 starts and was very efficient offensively, seeing nine of her 13 shots hit the target.
Elly Leander and Abi Markey are freshman that will push the veterans for playing time.
Leander helped Clinton finish second in the district and led the program to its first-ever regional tournament.
Markey joins the Eagle family from Chattanooga, where she attended Chattanooga Christian School. The three-sport athlete played an important role in helping Chattanooga Christian make back to back Elite Eight trips during her final two years.
"I think its very beneficial that we have new people coming in," Frick said. "It gives us a little more depth in the midfield position and that is always good to have competition around in practice and in games. It also gives the younger players a chance to grow and learn and have some guidance and leadership around. They have a lot of experience they can rely on from us. It's a very good mix to have new and experienced players together."
Carson-Newman women's soccer position previews will wrap up on next Friday, August 29th with a preview of the team's defenders and goalkeepers with help from Annika Fend.
